Police arrested a McIntosh Hall resident Wednesday for allegedly passing counterfeit bills to Fairbanks businesses and the Wood Center.

Justin G. Brown was arrested at 2:30 p.m. for forgery in the first degree after the police used a search warrant to examine his McIntosh residence.

According to the court complaint, Brown got caught after paying for a pizza from Domino's Pizza with counterfeit bills.

Manager Dale Dosser and deliveryman Arthur Smiddy Jr. were able to direct the police to a specific campus room number.

When another pizza was ordered on April 9 from the same residence, Dosser notified UAF police, the complaint says. Officers contacted Kerrie Turney, the resident hall director of McIntosh, Nerland and Wickersham, who agreed to be present during the second pizza delivery as a second witness.

Brown paid for the pizza with a $20 bill with serial numbers matching the previous bills he used at the Wood Center and to pay for pizza, the complaint says. Brown asked Smiddy for change for another $20, but Smiddy told him he only had $5, records state.

Police questioned Brown on Wednesday. Brown told police he received an envelope with $500 in the mail from a friend in North Carolina, which he knew to be counterfeit money, the complaint says.

Brown previously passed counterfeit bills to the Wood Center staff on March 29, police say. Lt. Syrilyn Tong of the University Police Department said several businesses also reported receiving counterfeit money, but declined to identify them.

"It is important that people check their wallets for counterfeit bills that could still be in circulation," Tong said.

The UAFPD released the serial numbers and description of the forged currency. The police are still looking for $10 bills with the serial number GC40238840A. The $20 bills related to the case have serial number GJ84120077B. The bills lack a security strip and are slicker than real money.

Counterfeit money found should be turned in to the campus police.

The U.S. Secret Service helped identify the money as fake, as bills with the same serial numbers have been appearing in California. However, the case will remain in state rather than federal courts. The amount of money was not large enough for Secret Service jurisdiction, Tong said.

According to Tong, if Brown is convicted, he will serve time in Fairbanks or in the Arizona prison that is part of the Alaska penal system.

At his arraignment Thursday, Brown's bail was set at $2,000. He is not to leave the area until the case against him is closed.